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My mother and grandmothers used a wood-fired stove for cooking. I often had the chore of splitting the firewood and stacking it on the porch near the kitchen door where it was kept dry and convenient for mom. She’s 95 years old and it’s been about half that time since she’s used that old stove. But since this is a landscaping article, let’s keep on subject about using ashes from wood fires as fertilizers.

As cold temperatures arrived in the fall, some of us started fires in an outdoor firepit, or perhaps burned some brush to enjoy the cool evenings prior to wintery weather. Others lit a wood-burning fireplace or stove. No matter the occasion, burning wood produces ashes. So, can they be used in the yard or garden rather than going to the landfill? Yes, definitely!

Most of the nitrogen and sulphur and carbon go up in smoke but a treasure trove of nutrients are contained in those wood ashes. Nutrients the trees took from the soil are now residing in those ashes. It’s completely natural that they return to the earth to help the next generation of grass, plants and trees grow healthily and vigorously.

Broadcasting ashes all over our yards and property is generally safe in moderation. Or, take a pail of ashes and distribute them around specific individual plants you’ve identified for applying ashes to.

Phosphorus, Potash and Calcium are generally plentiful in ashes. Some hardwoods can produce ashes up to 25% calcium carbonate. The pH is quite high. Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Iron and other elements are present in ashes and generally in a form plants can absorb and use for their growth and health.

Cautions: First, since wood ashes do slightly increase soil pH, about the same as crushed lime, refrain from adding them to acid-loving plants. Blueberries, azaleas and other rhododendrons, crepe myrtle, hollies, loropetalum, camillias, and magnolia trees are examples of plants not to add ashes to. Secondly, ashes from burning treated timbers or burning coal should not be added to the garden or any food- producing tree or plant. (And perhaps the painted or treated timbers should not be burned at all, but sent to a landfill that accepts such items.)

Lawn grasses will love the ashes. So will most plants if used sparingly. Even getting ash on the leaves is not harmful to most plants, and may even work to keep bugs and slugs from eating your garden plants and produce.

If you have ashes from your stove, fireplace, firepit, etc., by all means reuse them rather than putting them in the trash. They are a splendid addition to the compost pile, too. There are so many other possible uses for ashes besides as fertilizers, I cannot possibly list them all here. But a few might include ice melt, keep mold or moss from stones or concrete, blood clotting (though there may be a long-lasting type of ‘ash tattoo’ after the wound heals). A bath in ashes can eliminate skunk smell from your dog (or most anything else). Ashes can even be added to food…Native Americans did this fairly regularly. Fleas, cockroaches, slugs and such hate ashes, and they’ll make ants move their nest. Birds and chickens love to bathe in dry wood ashes. It’s not going to hurt a person to eat a bit of clean pure wood ash. In fact it can be a decent leavening agent as it contains potassium carbonate, that is salt-of-tartar.

As you burn logs for heating, for ambiance, for cooking or for whatever you want to burn some wood for—remember to save the ashes. They’re a great, and free, fertilizer.

 

Max Phelps is a landscaper, gardener, apple breeder, stone mason, pond builder. Send

feedback: (606) 416-3911 or email to rockcastles@gmail.com